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Spontaneous Generation & Origin of Life Concepts from Antiquity to The SIMB News News magazine of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology April/May/June 2019 V.69 N.2 • www.simbhq.org Spontaneous Generation & Origin of Life Concepts from Antiquity to the Present :ŽƵƌŶĂůŽĨ/ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂůDŝĐƌŽďŝŽůŽŐLJΘŝŽƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ Impact Factor 3.103 The Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology is an international journal which publishes papers in metabolic engineering & synthetic biology; biocatalysis; fermentation & cell culture; natural products discovery & biosynthesis; bioenergy/biofuels/biochemicals; environmental microbiology; biotechnology methods; applied genomics & systems biotechnology; and food biotechnology & probiotics Editor-in-Chief Ramon Gonzalez, University of South Florida, Tampa FL, USA Editors Special Issue ^LJŶƚŚĞƚŝĐŝŽůŽŐLJ; July 2018 S. Bagley, Michigan Tech, Houghton, MI, USA R. H. Baltz, CognoGen Biotech. Consult., Sarasota, FL, USA Impact Factor 3.500 T. W. Jeffries, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA 3.000 T. D. Leathers, USDA ARS, Peoria, IL, USA 2.500 M. J. López López, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain C. D. Maranas, Pennsylvania State Univ., Univ. Park, PA, USA 2.000 2.505 2.439 2.745 2.810 3.103 S. Park, UNIST, Ulsan, Korea 1.500 J. L. Revuelta, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain 1.000 B. Shen, Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA 500 D. K. Solaiman, USDA ARS, Wyndmoor, PA, USA Y. Tang, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA E. J. Vandamme, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium H. Zhao, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA 10 Most Cited Articles Published in 2016 (Data from Web of Science: October 15, 2018) Senior Author(s) Title Citations L. Katz, R. Baltz Natural product discovery: past, present, and future 103 Genetic manipulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis for improved production in Streptomyces and R. Baltz other actinomycetes 38 D. Chen,Y. Jiang, S. Yang Multiplex gene editing of the zĂƌƌŽǁŝĂůŝƉŽůLJƚŝĐĂgenome using the CRISPR-Cas9 system 36 S. Brady Culture-independent discovery of natural products from soil metagenomes 27 L. Chesnel, J. Silverman Discovery and development of surotomycinfor the treatment of ůŽƐƚƌŝĚŝƵŵĚŝĨĨŝĐŝůĞ 17 Genome neighborhood network reveals insights into enediyne biosynthesis and facilitates prediction and B. Shen prioritization for discovery 17 ĐŚŝŵĞƌŝĐɲ-amylase engineered from ĂĐŝůůƵƐĂĐŝĚŝĐŽůĂand 'ĞŽďĂĐŝůůƵƐƚŚĞƌŵŽůĞŽǀŽƌĂŶƐ with improved T. Satyanarayana thermostability and catalytic efficiency 15 Z. Deng Natural and engineered biosynthesis of nucleoside antibiotics in Actinomycetes 14 Enhanced cellulase production by dƌŝĐŚŽĚĞƌŵĂŚĂƌnjŝĂŶƵŵ by cultivation on glycerol followed by PdaS. Delabona induction on cellulosic substrates 13 Effect of the cathode potential and sulfate ions on nitrate reduction in a microbial electrochemical T. Lee denitrification system 12 Submission information Electronic access link.springer.com/journal/10295 ڼ ww.springer.com/10295 ڼ contents news SIMB News 35 FERMENTATION: SOLVING 21ST CENTURY PROBLEMS Melanie Mormile | Editor-in-Chief 36 SIMB-RELATED NEWS Elisabeth Elder | Associate Editor Stephanie Gleason | Associate Editor feature Kristien Mortelmans | Associate Editor Vanessa Nepomuceno | Associate Editor 38 SPONTANEOUS GENERATION AND ORIGIN OF LIFE CONCEPTS FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT DESIGN & PRODUCTION Katherine Devins | Production Manager meetings BOARD OF DIRECTORS 51 SIMB ANNUAL MEETING 2019 President Steve Van Dien 53 RAFT® 2019 President-Elect Jan Westpheling 57 NATURAL PRODUCTS 2020 Past President Debbie Yaver members Secretary Elisabeth Elder 2019 SIMB BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION RESULTS Treasurer Laura Jarboe 63 DIVERSITY COMMITTEE Directors Joy Doran-Peterson 64 Thomas Klasson 68 SIMB COMMITTEES Tiffany Rau Michael Resch book review HEADQUARTERS STAFF 61 PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS IN THE RHIZOSPHERE Christine Lowe | Executive Director Jennifer Johnson | Director of Member Services in every issue Tina Hockaday | Meeting Coordinator Suzannah Citrenbaum | Web Manager 34 CORPORATE MEMBERS Esperanza Montesa | Accountant 67 CALENDAR OF EVENTS EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE 71 CORPORATE MEMBER APPLICATION Melanie R. Mormile Email: [email protected] ADVERTISING For information regarding rates, contact SIMB News On the cover 3929 Old Lee Highway, Suite 92A Top: Louis Pasteur.. From Wikimedia Fairfax, VA 22030-2421 P: 703-691-3357 ext 30 Commons and is in the Public Domain. F:703-691-7991 Email: [email protected] Bottom: Stanley Miller. Copyright © www.simbhq.org 1981 The Regents of the University of SIMB News (ISSN 1043-4976), is published California. All Right Reserved. Used by quarterly, one volume per year, by the permission. Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology and is provided to all SIMB members. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CONTACT SIMB SIMB News, 3929 Old Lee Highway, Suite 92A, (703) 691-3357 Fairfax, VA 22030-2421 Executive Director Christine Lowe, Ext. 26 Copyright © 2019, Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. Director of Member Services Jennifer Johnson, Ext. 23 All rights reserved. Meeting Coordinator Tina Hockaday, Ext. 24 Web Manager Suzannah Citrenbaum, Ext. 27 Accountant Esperanza Montesa, Ext. 22 April • May • June 2019 SIMB NEWS 33 corporate members Diamond Members Silver Members ICM, Inc. Applikon Biotechnology, Inc. Novozymes, Inc. Corteva Agriscience Sartorius Stedium Biotech Envera, LLC. Gold Members Eppendorf Global Bioingredients, Inc. DCI-Biolafitte KATZEN International, Inc. Flownamics, Inc. Lallemand, Inc. Genesis Biosciences, Inc. m2P Labs Hamilton Company Moubio, LLC. INFORS USA Mycosynthetix, Inc. Kuhner Shaker, Inc. Panlabs Biologics, Inc. Marcor, an Azelis company Tatua USA Ltd. Procelys Traders Protein Sensient Xylome Bronze Members Pneumatic Scale Angelus Institutional Members ERWAT Golden Leaf Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center - North Carolina State University 34 SIMB NEWS www.simbhq.org Fermentation: Solving 21st Century Problems TIM DAVIES, RUBUS SCIENTIFIC LTD. RAFT® 2019 CO-CHAIR Biological advances are regularly in the headlines. Seven of solutions can test, scale and manufacture their products the top ten best selling drugs are biologics. CRISPR is almost quickly, with reduced risk, and at lower cost. This will facilitate a household word as is synthetic biology. Biotechnology- getting the outputs of the bio-economy on to the market derived foods are established in stores and restaurants. New where they can displace incumbent products and generate an biologically derived polymers are newsworthy, whether impact. they come from spider silk and provide new functionality, or are used for packaging and provide better degradability. The RAFT® conference series has been at the forefront Biotechnology has emerged from the biofuel boom with of fermentation and biomanufacturing research and greater diversity and investors are recognising the promise with development for almost 30 years and in 2019 the impact of large investments in companies such as Gingko, Impossible the conference may never have been greater. 300 industry Foods and Indigo Agriculture. Despite this interest, we hear experts will gather under the Florida sun this October to less about biomanufacturing. Manufacturing is the engine share advances and brainstorm solutions to problems in a that drives the industry – sales revenue is not generated until a vibrant format that encourages discussion. Lecture sessions product hits the shelves – but it’s secrets remain hidden. focussing on the latest research and commercial offerings will be enhanced by round tables addressing some of the critical Our generation faces huge global challenges, captured in the issues that the industry faces. Most of all we will celebrate the UN sustainable development goals (Figure 1). Most of these industry. We want to send our delegates home knowing that can be impacted by the bio-economy, and by manufacturing what they are doing matters, and ready to make a difference. products that provide better sustainability and better health. Our industry has the opportunity to be a leader in advancing So, a call to arms: mark your calendars for October 27th to the the sustainability goals but this will need joined up thinking 30th, get involved by writing poster and paper abstracts so and technological advances. Ultimately it will require increased that we can all benefit from your expertise, and come ready capacity so that those companies and scientists developing to participate and make a difference. We want you at RAFT® 13 this fall. Figure 1 The UN Sustainablilty Goals - a call to arms for the biomanufacturing industry (www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals) April • May • June 2019 SIMB NEWS 35 news SIMB-related News Winners of SIMB science fair awards Deb Graves, Dow, again judged the Montgomery County, PA Science Research Competition held March 22, 2019. Winners received SIMB-sponsored Amazon gift cards. Congratulations to all of the schools with winning students: » Upper Dublin High School » St. Teresa of Calcutta School » Cheltenham High School » Cedarbrook Middle School » Methacton High School » Arcola Intermediate School » Germantown Academy Upper School 36 SIMB NEWS www.simbhq.org news SIMB-related News K. Thomas Klasson, PhD, Research Leader, Commodity Utilization Research Science Fair 2019 – New Orleans SIMB sponsored two awards at the 2019 Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair (GNOSEF) for the first time. We anticipate making this an annual sponsorship. This year’s Fair was held
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